The final out of the 2009 National League Championship Series fell harmlessly into Shane Victorino's glove at 11:47 p.m. last night. The Phillies swarmed each other, the crowd went crazy, and the city celebrated another National League championship. It was a familiar sight, but one that never gets old.

From the press box, I could see what appeared to be a father hugging his son. They stood there for a while with their arms around each other and stared at the commotion on the field. Now and then they'd shoot each other a look - wide, silly grins meant to express how lucky they are (how lucky we all are, really) without saying a word. No doubt there were scenes like that unfolding all over town. It's nearly enough to make a grown man cry.

When we're all done drying our eyes, we should probably share the Kleenex with the rest of country. If the New York Times is to be believed, Americans all over this fine land started blubbering when the Phils locked down their second straight World Series appearance. They weren't tears of joy, either.

Recently, NYT sports columnist William Rhoden - as talented a scribbler as anyone out there - predicted baseball lovers would weep into their Wheaties if the Dodgers and Yankees didn't end up playing for the Commissioner's Trophy. He wrote that a Phillies-Yanks clash would be "intriguing" but added that "what Major League Baseball needs is a great World Series, a Series for the ages. And with all due respect. . . it's a Yankees-Dodgers World Series that could take the game back to its roots at a time when baseball desperately needs to recover a portion of the trust, if not the innocence, that it has lost in the steroid era."

Hold on while I gather myself. Mercy. I haven't laughed that hard since I saw the The Nightman Cometh at the Tower.

Two teams lousy with known-steroid users were supposed to restore baseball's "innocence"? I wonder if he penned that with a straight face. That's the same sort of flawed thinking that once led the NYT to write a stunningly obtuse piece that selected Philly as New York's "sixth borough." Don't they have editors at the Times? Surely someone should be charged with the task of reading that rubbish and pointing out how utterly inane it sounds.

I agree with Rhoden on one point, though: Baseball needs a great series. What better way to guarantee that than by pitting the best team in the NL against the best team in the AL (assuming the Yanks finish off the Angels), the defending World Series champs vs. the franchise that's won more titles than any other? What better way to captivate the country than to have two trash-talking cities - separated by 90 miles of bad New Jersey Turnpike pavement - grab for each other's throats in prime time?

There's also the added benefit of knowing a Phils-Yanks Fall Classic is sure to make Mets fans projectile vomit all over their plastic-covered couches. Everyone wins this way.

Besides, I'm not entirely convinced that the rest of the country wanted an L.A.-N.Y. series in the first place. That's a few too many narcissists with fake eyelashes for most people. Think about it in terms of body parts: L.A. vs. N.Y. would be two giant swelled heads. Better to include some shoulders and a large chip to balance things out.

But, hey, if Rhoden is right and people are ticked that the Phils are back in the World Series, too bad. During the lean years Philly had to watch Houston, Atlanta, Florida and all sorts of teams we have no interest in compete for championships. Now it's time for the rest of America to choke down a steaming bowl of these aren't my clubs and I don't care indifference.

Note to the nation: If you sprinkle some sugar on top it's easier to stomach. Enjoy.

Line of the night

Two Spanish reporters joked about Pedro Martinez pitching in the Bronx again: "Hola, Yankees, daddy's home."

Think Blue

Ignore the sign, Dodgers fans. Another Botox injection and a new pair of $200 skinny jeans and you'll forget all about the beating your boys just absorbed.

T.J. Simers

Some of you weren't amused by the L.A. Times columnist or his jokes about Philly. Don't sweat it. It's just shtick, and it's all he has. I mean, how sad is it that he spends his days cracking wise on Page 2 of a dying newspaper?

Well said

In the eighth inning, the crowd chanted "hit the showers." Brilliant.

The city really "greased poles" in advance of last night's game? (Go nuts with that one - I'm leaving it alone.) No wonder Philly's running a budget deficit. . . More slogan ideas from the Page 2 Gen. Pop.: "Once and Phuture Kings," "Bank to Bank WFC," "Two-rrific," "Deja Two" and "It Ain't Over till HK sings." I like the last one best . . . Seven down, four to go, Phils fans.

Contact columnist John Gonzalez at 215-854-2813 or gonzalez@phillynews.com.